Panchakarma

As the name suggest, panchkarma means panch karma i.e. five methods or five operation in ayurvedic medicinal system. These are:

1. Vaman karma (emetic)
2. Virechan karma (purgative)
3. Anuvasan vasti (soothing enema)
4. Nirooh vasti (cleansing enema)
5. Nasya karma (nasal purge)

Ayurveda believes that any substance entering in our body has an effect on our body. Thus to clensify the wrong effects in the body by that external substance, panchkarma methods were devised. Panchkarma procedures purify, pacify and remove the cause on any disease. For curing any disease one must purify the effective body system by eliminating the aberrant material from the body. Secondly one must soothe the already effected part. And thirdly one must remove the hetu (cause) of the disease. Panchkarma procedures are so designed that they satisfy the above mentioned three requirements of a physician in eradicating a disease.

• Nasya karma : It is popularly known as shiroveraechan. Nasya is the administration of medicine either in the liquid or in the powder forms into the nostrils. Its main function is to purify the nasal passage and relieves the congestion in the cranial region. In fact, the administration of nasya karma is considered as a purgative to the head as the term shiroveraechan literally implies.
   

• Vaman karma : According to ayurveda, definitions say that it is the procedure in which aggravated doshas of the body are expelled out of the body by oral canal. Vaman or administration of emetics is one of the procedures by which Shodhana (cleansing) of the body is being done. The aim and the objective of performing Vaman karma are different from and more comprehensive than those of administration emetics. It is widely used in eradicating disorders caused by kapha dosha.
   

• Virechan karma : It’s the procedure by which aggravated or imbalanced doshas are expelled out of the body through anal region. Virechan means purgative. This is chiefly in disorders caused due to pitta dosha. It helps in cleansing the body from doshas thus helping in providing stability and homeostasis in the body.
   

• Nirooh vasti karma : Nirooh vasti is commonly known as astthapan vasti. It includes the administration of certain decoctions of specific herbs as enemata for the chief purpose of cleaning the intestine. It is widely used in intestinal colic due to irregular peristalsis (udaavartham) and in constipation (vibhandh).
   

• Anuvasan vasti karma : This is also called Snehan vasti. It helps in brimhana (strengthening) of the body hence provides power to the body organs. This is administration of enemata, which is prepared whole solely in oils there fore helps in toning up of organs. Besides cleansing purpose it also helps in relieving disorders caused by vata dosha.

Karma in normal terminology means special operations or procedure. The word karma means special act whose main purpose is to expel out the vitiated doshas thus helping in cleaning the body. As understood by name panch karma is five in numbers in which four are Shodhana karma i.e. helps in cleaning the body. These are Vaman, virechan, nasya, and nirooh vasti. There main purpose is to purify body or eliminating the aggravated doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) out of the body or subduing them, there fore they are classified into Langahan karma. The one left is anuvasan vasti which is considers as growth promoter and toner thus helps in lubricating and toning muscles and organs often body. Therefore it is characterized into samana karma, a soothing treatment: although its main purpose is also to eliminate or check a premier dosha i.e. vata hence included in brimhana chikitsa (treatment).

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